US government sued after failing to submit climate change report

NEW YORK: An environmental advocacy group sued the US government on Tuesday for failing to release records that could show why it has not filed a report required under a global climate compact.

The Paris accord obligates the United States to submit a report every two years detailing greenhouse gas emissions and steps taken to meet a goal to keep the global temperature rise “well below” 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit).

Its latest report should have been filed by January 1 with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change – the Paris accord’s guardian – said the plaintiff, the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD), an Arizona-based non-profit.

“This is a critical report that the world needs,” Jean Su, the CBD’s attorney, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation by phone, adding that the US submitted its last biannual report on 31 December 2015.

The lawsuit, filed in federal court in the District of Columbia, said the US Department of State had violated transparency and administrative laws due to its “failure … to respond to the Center’s request for records”.

The Department of State did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

It was the latest legal action taken by green advocates to combat efforts by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump to minimize its role in combating climate change and roll back environmental regulations.